Potato-digger



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. P. M. THORN. POTATO BIGGER.

No. 437,528. Patented sept. so, 1890;

@vih/www ,f grue/wha' f @4m 7% @4Z/W,

(No Model.) f 2 Sheets-Sheetv2.

F. M.. THORN. POTATO BIGGER. No.- 437,528. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

Il I Mld 3 l @WVM/wooo I @gut/ y aww@ UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK-M. TI-IORN, OF ORCHARD PARK, vNEV YORK.

-PoTATo-D|GGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,528, dated September 30, 1890.

i Application filed November 18, 1889. Serial No. 330,698. (No model.)

l scribed in Unitedl States Patent No.7327,357,

granted to me September 29, 1885, and also No. 366,044, granted to me July 5, 1887, these inventions consisting, essentially, in a doublelnold-board plow swung between bearing or ground wheels, which carry a system or series of rods or lingers adapted to sift and convey backward and upward the contents of the potato-hills as they are thrown or deposited on such rods or fingers by the mold-boards of the plows, the wheels and fingers being provided also with a shield and carrier opposite each side of the plow, designed to prevent clogging by the falling of potato-tops, weeds, &c., between the wheel-spokes, and to also remove the same, together with the potatoes, from the rods or lingers and deposit them upon an auxiliary sifter or separators or upon the ground behind the plow, as fully set forth in the patents aforesaid.

The object of my present invention is to lessen or dispense with gearing and provide a simple and inexpensive machine of increased eiiciency which will accomplish its work with better results than heretofore in unusually difficult conditions of soil; and with this end in view it consists in vibratory ngers and mechanism for imparting a vibratory motion, either horizontal or vertical, or both in combination, to the iingers, upon which the contents of the hills are thrown or deposited by the' plow, for the purpose of increasing the rapidity and effectiveness with which they sift and separate the dirt and other dbris from the tubers.

It further consists in gearing or other devices in lieu thereof of a simpler, more durable, and less expensive character than gearing, and still further in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, as

will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in rear elevation of a potato-digger Vwith vmy improvements attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail. Fig. 3 is a modification, and Figli is ay View of a modified form of machine. y

A represents a double-mold-board plow, which is supported on the axle l and carried by the ground or bearing wheels 2 2. At or near the fellies of the wheels are attached the rods or fingers 3 3, ofspring-steel or Aother elastic materiahfuponwhich the hills with their contents are overturned and sifted.V In

order to give vibratory'motion to these rods or in gers to increase their eficiency in accomplishing their functions, a pair of shoes or frames or other devices 4: 4 depend by means of the bars 5 5 fromv the frame in position to receive the ends of thel rods or `fingers as the wheels revolve. These consist of frames having rollers or ribs G 6 arranged transversely thereon, and they are located under and near the feee ends of the rods or fingers, so that as orimmediately after they receive the contents of the hills and proceed backward and upward the ends of the rods or lingers coming in contact with and passing over the rollers or ribs on the roller-frames are temporarily retarded, slightly and briefly widening the space between them, as indicated in the drawings, are also slightly elevated, and when again released they spring or tend to spring back into place, the result of the entire operation being a combined horizontal and vertical vibration and jarring which greatly contributes to the eective sifting of the dirt or other material borne upon the rods or fingers. bined shield and carriers 7 7 are secured to the frame just inside the wheels to prevent the dirt from passing through the latter and to force the potatoes, dac., off the fingers, as shown and described in the patent-s herein referred to. u

- In the modification shown in Fig. 3 a slightly different form of roller-frame is shown. In this construction the frame, with its rollers or ribs, are vertical, or nearly so, as contradis-r tinguished from their horizontal position in the other construction, and the tip ends only The cornv ICO or ribs in this instance. This has substaniially the same effect upon the fingers which the other form of frame does, rst spreading them apart and allowing them to fly back to resume their normal positions again, but gives no vertical vibration to them.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the rods or fingers are attached to endless chains,which pass over the bearing-wheels and sprocket- Wheels at the rear of the machine. The roller-frames are arranged beneath the n gers in the chains, the same as in the other construction, and perform the same function.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction herein set forth, but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a potato-digger, t-he combination, with a double-mold-'board plow, a frame upon which the plow is hung, and bearing-wheels supporting the axle of the plow, of a double series of vibratory rods or fingers adapted to receive from each adjacent mold-board the contents of the hills and sift and separate the dirt from the potatoes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a potatodigger, the combination, with a plow and frame upon which the latter is hung, of bearing-wheels supporting the axle of the plow, and vibratory rods or fingers carried by the wheels and adapted to receive the contents of the hills and sift and separate the dirt from the potatoes, substantially as set forth.

3. In a potato-digger, the combination, with a plow and frame upon which the latter is hung, of bearing wheels having a series of vibratory rods or fingers attached thereto at l or near the fellies, substantially as set forth.

4. In a potato-digger, the combination,with a plow and frame upon which the latter is hung, of bearing-wheels supporting the axle of the plow, vibratory rods or fingers carried by the wheels, and devices for vibrating the rods or fingers, substantially as set forth.

5. 'Ihe combination, with a plow and frame upon which the latter ishung, of bearingwheels supporting the ends of the axle, vibratory rods or fingers carried by the wheels, and roller-frames over which the ends of the rods or fingers pass, whereby they are telnporarily retarded and slightly and briefly separated, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a plow and frame upon which the latter is hung, of bearing- Wheels supporting the ends of the axle, lvibratory rods or fingers attached to the wheels at or near the fellies, and roller-frames depending from Vthe frame of the machine, over which roller frames the fingers pass, said frames having devices thereon for temporarily retarding and Vibrating the fingers, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination, with a plow, frame upon which the plow is hung, and bearing-wheels supporting the ends of the axle, of vibratory rods or fingers attached to the fellies of the wheels, and roller-frames depending from bars attached to the frame of the machine, said roller-frames having rollers thereon over which the fingers pass in order to have a vbratory motion imparted to them, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. THORN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. DRURY, V. E. HoDGEs. 

